


whatever a sun will always sing is you

by onibi



Category: Avengers: Endgame - Fandom, Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), First Kiss, Fix-It, Happy Ending, M/M, Pet Names, Tenderness, rated for probably too much swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 15:32:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18594187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onibi/pseuds/onibi
Summary: Steve comes back.





	whatever a sun will always sing is you

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this is short and if it’s not great, I literally just finished watching Endgame and had to care about Steve and Bucky because if not me apparently no one will.
> 
> title from ee cummings "[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]"  
> also pls get emotional w/ me [on tumblr](http://canobic.tumblr.com/)

He considers staying.

He considers it, he really does. After all the stones are back where they’re supposed to be. He visits Peggy one last time, and nearly throws in the towel, nearly just walks up to her and stays, nearly, nearly.

But she has moved on. You can never fully move on, he knows that better than anyone – but you can get real damn close. She’s got her own life.

And he’s got his.

-

The look on Bucky’s face when he comes back is a mixture of awe and bewilderment. No one else seems phased, and Bruce just asks if he got the job done.

He reports back the all-good, and hands Sam his shield.

“Cap?” Sam asks.

“Not me. Not anymore.” He gives him a smile. “This is yours, all right? No one will do a better job. But I’m done.”

It takes some convincing, but Sam takes the shield. Bucky says nothing, not as they’re talking, and not as Steve nods his head for them to head back to the car. Not a word as he slides into the drivers’ seat and closes the door.

“You right, Buck?”

Bucky glances at him, frowning, and then looks out the window.

Steve starts to drive.

-

They arrive back at Steve’s new apartment with no words exchanged between them, still. Steve has plenty to say, but if Bucky’s not ready to talk, he won’t push it.

He goes to take a shower, and when he comes out, Bucky’s just on the couch, staring at the switched off television. Steve goes to the kitchen and starts to cook dinner.

Halfway through chopping the carrots, he sees Bucky’s shadow behind him.

“Why’d you come back?”

Steve turns, knife in hand. Bucky looks angry.

“What d’you mean, Buck?”

“Fuck you. You know what I mean. You _know._ ”

Steve just looks at him. “I do?”

Bucky huffs, rolling his eyes and running his hand across his face. “Steve, you travelled through time. And you came back. I thought – I…”

Steve watches Bucky swallow a few times.

He puts down the knife.

“I thought about it, Buck. I saw her.”

Bucky snaps his head up at him, furious. “Then why didn’t you stay? Have a couple kids, for fuck’s sake, Steve. You really don’t think you deserve a happy ending? The hell’s wrong with you?”

“Buck.”

“Don’t. I… all I fucking want in this world Steve is for you to be happy, and you have to go be a complete asshole and blow your chance like that. Fuck you.”

“ _Buck._ Can you listen to me?”

Bucky looks up at him, furious. “You had no damn reason to come back. You even gave Sam your shield.”

“Bucky.”

As he takes a deep breath, Steve notices Bucky is trembling. His eyes are glassy. Steve steps toward him, slowly reaching out an arm, feels Bucky flinch slightly when he makes contact.

“Sweetheart,” he says, barely audible. Bucky flinches.

Steve kisses him.

It’s the most tender thing he’s ever done. The both of them, built for war and violence, suddenly the softest things in the world. Bucky’s tense when he first makes contact, just the barest brush of their lips. He feels Bucky huff as he adds pressure to the kiss.

And then he’s kissing back. It goes from zero to a hundred in a second.

Bucky grabs the back of his head and kisses him like they’ll die if they stop. Steve opens up his mouth and Bucky does the same, groaning, animalistic, broken. Steve kisses him like he’s always wanted to and never been strong enough to do. He feels it in his whole body, he feels it in the warmth of Bucky's own. He kisses him and it feels like they were always meant to fit together like this. It's hot, push and pull, almost like fighting, just as much like love. 

And then Bucky pulls back and pushes at his chest. “Steve, _fuck._ ”

His lips are red and shiny and there are tears in his eyes. Steve goes to push the hair out of his face and Bucky swats his hand away.

“Steve,” he says, his voice cracking on the word. “You didn’t – tell me you fucking didn’t come back for me.”

Steve sighs. “Bucky. Of course I did.”

And Bucky’s expression just breaks.

“You fucking moron,” he chokes out. “You…”

He scrunches up his face and presses the heel of his palms to his eyes, and Steve wants to envelop him in his arms, but he steps backwards. Before he can call out his name, he’s out of the kitchen. Steve hears the front door slam.

He stands and sighs, eyes fluttering closed as he touches his mouth in disbelief, the lingering feeling of Bucky's mouth against his. 

-

A week later, Bucky comes back.

Steve comes in from buying groceries and he’s sitting on the couch, still staring at the black empty screen of the television.

“Hey,” Steve says, stupidly.

Bucky stands up. He looks beautiful, as he always does, and sad. As he always does.

He offers Steve a half-smile.

“Hey.”

Steve puts down his grocery bag and walks over to Bucky, who takes a deep breath, eyes cast downward.

“Sorry I freaked out. I realized running out on you like that… you might’ve thought…” he sighs. “I always wanted to kiss you.”

Steve swallows. “Makes two of us, then.”

Bucky huffs. He pinches the area in between his eyes. “I just… outta the two of us, I mean Jesus, Steve. I’m a fucked up ex-assassin with every problem you could imagine. You coulda had a normal life with her, a great one.”

Steve sighs long-sufferingly. He studies the details of Bucky’s face, the man he loves, in all his beauty and all his pain.

“I know, Buck. But she had her own life. And, look at me, okay?” He tilts Bucky’s chin so they’re looking eye to eye. “You’re my happy ending, James Buchanan Barnes. You’re _my_ life.”

Bucky’s brow knits and he pushes his cheek into Steve’s hand. He’s crying, and Steve realizes he’s not the only one. He moves closer and presses his forehead to Bucky’s, feels his body rise and fall with sobs.

He kisses Steve’s palm, and pushes his face back into Steve’s, so they’re nose to nose, mouths nearly touching. “Sweetheart,” Bucky murmurs, and it sounds like a benediction.


End file.
